diff --git a/cmd/cli/install.go b/cmd/cli/install.go
index 1d33e8d145..6825befa28 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/install.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/install.go
@@ -121,12 +121,12 @@ func newInstallCmd(config *helm.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			kubeconfig, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(kubeconfig)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig, %s", err)
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			inst.clientSet = clientset
 			return inst.run(config)
diff --git a/cmd/cli/mesh_list.go b/cmd/cli/mesh_list.go
index 719e3e17fd..656686cade 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/mesh_list.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/mesh_list.go
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ func newMeshList(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			meshList.clientSet = clientset
 			return meshList.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/metrics_disable.go b/cmd/cli/metrics_disable.go
index a08f018b9d..93e8aa74cd 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/metrics_disable.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/metrics_disable.go
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ func newMetricsDisable(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			disableCmd.clientSet = clientset
 			return disableCmd.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/metrics_enable.go b/cmd/cli/metrics_enable.go
index ef86729226..3283709468 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/metrics_enable.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/metrics_enable.go
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ func newMetricsEnable(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			enableCmd.clientSet = clientset
 			return enableCmd.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/namespace_add.go b/cmd/cli/namespace_add.go
index a722b8dd3c..b167213a37 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/namespace_add.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/namespace_add.go
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ func newNamespaceAdd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 			namespaceAdd.namespaces = args
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			namespaceAdd.clientSet = clientset
 			return namespaceAdd.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/namespace_ignore.go b/cmd/cli/namespace_ignore.go
index dce6449d5f..00365b238b 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/namespace_ignore.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/namespace_ignore.go
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ func newNamespaceIgnore(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 			ignoreCmd.namespaces = args
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			ignoreCmd.clientSet = clientset
 			return ignoreCmd.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/namespace_list.go b/cmd/cli/namespace_list.go
index d6ef787cca..7877d12967 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/namespace_list.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/namespace_list.go
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@ func newNamespaceList(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			namespaceList.clientSet = clientset
 			return namespaceList.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/namespace_remove.go b/cmd/cli/namespace_remove.go
index d23317d407..1d064d6bc4 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/namespace_remove.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/namespace_remove.go
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@ func newNamespaceRemove(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 			namespaceRemove.namespace = args[0]
 			config, err := settings.RESTClientGetter().ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(config)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			namespaceRemove.clientSet = clientset
 			return namespaceRemove.run()
diff --git a/cmd/cli/proxy_configdump.go b/cmd/cli/proxy_configdump.go
index a92b5a80dd..baff7435eb 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/proxy_configdump.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/proxy_configdump.go
@@ -52,13 +52,13 @@ func newProxyDumpConfig(config *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Comm
 			dumpConfigCmd.pod = args[0]
 			conf, err := config.RESTClientGetter.ToRESTConfig()
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Error fetching kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			dumpConfigCmd.config = conf
 
 			clientset, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(conf)
 			if err != nil {
-				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster. Check kubeconfig")
+				return errors.Errorf("Could not access Kubernetes cluster, check kubeconfig: %s", err)
 			}
 			dumpConfigCmd.clientSet = clientset
 			return dumpConfigCmd.run()